Top Lawyers Urged to Maintain Ethics and Public Trust

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, and the president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, have called on newly made Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to uphold ethics and accountability. This comes as many people express worry about declining trust in the justice system.

They made these remarks on Monday at the Supreme Court’s opening of the 2026/2027 legal year in Abuja.

They pointed out that this high rank comes with responsibilities to both the legal field and the public. This rank should not protect its holders from scrutiny regarding their conduct.

The leaders also raised concerns about professional misconduct, delays in handling disciplinary complaints, and the need for the justice system to regain the trust of Nigerians through accountability and effective service.

The annual legal year ceremony marks the start of a new judicial year at the Supreme Court. It allows the judiciary and the legal profession to reflect on their duties in ensuring justice.

At the ceremony on Monday, Mrs Kekere-Ekun swore in 67 advocates and one academic, Nnamdi Onyeka Obiaraeri, who is a law professor at Imo State University, Owerri, and a former dean of its Faculty of Law. Among the 68 new SANs, four were women.

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee approved the new SANs at its 174th plenary session in July.

CJN Cautions Senior Lawyers on Misconduct

Mrs Kekere-Ekun, who led the ceremony, reminded the new SANs that their new status comes with responsibilities to the legal profession and society. It does not exempt them from being accountable.

"The Inner Bar is not just a sign of professional success; it is a call to leadership," she stated, urging the new SANs to carry this title with dignity, humility, and a strong sense of responsibility.

She added that past disciplinary actions against senior lawyers should remind them that being distinguished does not mean they can neglect ethics.

"A lawyer who becomes a Senior Advocate is not above accountability," she said.

The CJN also condemned using social media to intimidate judges, mock lawyers, and turn professional disagreements into personal attacks.

She warned that the justice system's integrity relies on judges making decisions without fear of backlash and lawyers making valid submissions without threats.

With elections coming up, she urged judges to avoid political ties that could make them seem biased.

She also told lawyers to steer clear of forum shopping and filing multiple cases that seek the same outcomes. Such actions can lead to conflicting orders and slow down other cases.

She emphasized that the judiciary must be open to all litigants, stating that high-profile cases should not take away attention from others needing timely justice. Lawyers, she noted, have a duty to inform about related cases and respect other courts' processes.

On the Supreme Court's workload, Mrs Kekere-Ekun shared that the number of cases handled in the 2025/2026 legal year increased.

"During the 2025/2026 Legal Year, the Supreme Court dealt with 2,456 matters, including 1,179 general civil motions, 573 criminal motions, 13 Sharia-related motions, and 676 appeals," she said.

She explained that the appeals included 433 general civil appeals, 212 criminal appeals, 19 political appeals, 12 Sharia appeals, and 10 originating summons.

The court issued 411 judgments during this time, compared to 369 judgments from 2,280 matters in the previous year.

She acknowledged that these numbers alone don’t show the court’s full performance but pointed out efforts made to reduce its backlog.

These efforts included scheduling 1,385 matters for regular sittings, pushing 733 older cases forward, resolving 178 inactive matters, and removing 125 completed cases from the active list.

According to her, the court also assigned 141 cases to special panels handling Sharia issues, cases involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, revenue cases, and matters from the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.

Mrs Kekere-Ekun said the Supreme Court has started using the Nigerian Case Management System and mandatory electronic filing since July. This is to improve case management, safeguard judicial records, and cut down on delays.

These changes are being rolled out in phases, starting with pending appeals scheduled for hearing between September and December 2026.

She also called for timely release of funds meant for the judiciary, warning that delays could disrupt projects, purchasing, and essential services.

She urged continued efforts to reduce case backlogs, expand alternative dispute resolution where suitable, and invest in the training and welfare of judges and court staff.

AGF Warns Against Commercialising SAN Rank

The AGF, who is also the justice minister, cautioned that the SAN rank could lose its value if it becomes more about making money than serving the public.

"My office is worried about the growing number of misconduct cases, especially against senior lawyers," he said, calling for the LPDC to be modernized for quicker and clearer processes.

"When complaints drag on for years, the public thinks the legal field is set up to protect wrongdoers," he added.

Mr Fagbemi noted that the SAN rank, created in 1975 to honor outstanding professionals, comes with obligations beyond personal success.

He urged the new SANs and their senior colleagues to maintain the rank’s integrity through ethical actions, mentorship, and serving society.

"The silk gown is not a money-making tool; it is a sign of professional and social duty," he said.

He called on senior lawyers to help younger colleagues grow, promote affordable justice, ease court congestion, defend rights, and uphold the law.

NBA President Calls for Public Trust

During the ceremony, the NBA president warned that the legal profession cannot depend on its reputation among members to gain public trust.

Mrs Badejo-Okusanya, who took office in August, called for more accountability, discipline, and reforms that bring real changes for court users.

She pointed to the deaths of suspected illegal miners in Niger State to illustrate the need for accountability.

These victims were among those arrested during operations against illegal mining in the M.I. Wushishi-Lukoto area in September.

Reports show that 37 of them were later found dead in a detention center run by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. This has led to calls for an investigation into how this happened.

Mrs Badejo-Okusanya urged authorities to find out what occurred, identify those responsible, and look into credible claims of abuse.

She also pushed for investigations into those who organized or profited from illegal mining if evidence proves their involvement.

She said children found at mining sites should be checked for potential exploitation instead of being treated as offenders.

She called on lawyers to maintain professional standards, mentioning issues like misleading clients, not communicating properly, and mishandling client funds. She urged lawyers to avoid unnecessary applications and claims that congest the courts.

Mrs Badejo-Okusanya also asked public officials to follow court orders, regardless of whether the decisions were in their favor.

With elections coming soon, she warned lawyers against making baseless claims about judges when they are unhappy with court outcomes.

She said the NBA will keep defending judicial independence against threats and improper interference, while pursuing valid complaints through the right channels.

Wole Olanipekun, speaking for the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, also raised concerns about hurdles facing lawyers who want to appeal disciplinary decisions. He called for reforms to protect their rights to appeal.

He asked the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal to clarify issues surrounding applications for leave to appeal, and called on the AGF to think about changing the Legal Practitioners Act to fix gaps in the appeal process.

"Justice is not one-sided," he said.

Mr Olanipekun also called for more consistency in judicial decisions and improvements to the Supreme Court’s electronic filing system. He urged newly promoted SANs to stay “humble,” “sober,” and responsible, warning against arrogance, disrespect towards judges, and attacking the judiciary when rulings go against them.

He reminded everyone that each case involves real people and families, urging judges to think about the human impact of their decisions while maintaining fairness.